U.S. stocks traded lower this morning, with the Dow Jones index dipping over 100 points on Friday.Following the market opening Friday, the Dow traded down 0.28% to 48,933.32 while the NASDAQ fell 0.28% to 23,619.57. The S&P 500 also fell, dropping, 0.24% to 6,952.62.Check This Out: How To Earn $500 A Month From Goldman Sachs Stock Ahead Of Q4 EarningsLeading and Lagging SectorsConsumer staples shares gained by 0.2% on Friday.In trading on Friday, materials stocks fell by 1.4%.Top HeadlineVerizon Communicati ...

Verizon issued a bullish forecast for this year. - Michael Nagle/Bloomberg News Verizon Communications gained a net 616,000 postpaid phone connections in the fourth quarter, with its chief executive calling the period a “critical inflection point.” The company posted its biggest quarterly combined mobile and broadband net additions since 2019. Shares rose 5% in premarket trading. Most Read from The Wall Street Journal Dan Schulman took over as CEO of the nation’s largest wireless carrier in October wi ...

Company Overview - Proactive is a financial news publisher that provides fast, accessible, informative, and actionable business and finance news content to a global investment audience [2] - The company operates with a team of experienced and qualified news journalists across key finance and investing hubs including London, New York, Toronto, Vancouver, Sydney, and Perth [2] Market Focus - Proactive specializes in medium and small-cap markets while also covering blue-chip companies, commodities, and broader investment stories [3] - The content delivered by the company includes insights across various sectors such as biotech and pharma, mining and natural resources, battery metals, oil and gas, crypto, and emerging digital and EV technologies [3] Technology Adoption - Proactive is recognized for its forward-looking approach and enthusiastic adoption of technology to enhance workflows [4] - The company utilizes automation and software tools, including generative AI, while ensuring that all content is edited and authored by humans to maintain best practices in content production and search engine optimization [5]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company achieved over 1 million net adds across mobility and broadband in Q4, the highest quarterly volumes in 6 years [16] - Consolidated adjusted EBITDA for Q4 was $11.9 billion, with full-year adjusted EBITDA at $50 billion, reflecting a 2.5% increase from the prior year [21] - Adjusted EPS for Q4 was $1.09, bringing the full year to $4.71, a growth of 2.6% from the previous year [21] - Free cash flow for the full year was $20.1 billion, anticipated to be industry-leading [22] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Postpaid phone net adds were 616,000 in Q4, the best quarter in 6 years, with consumer postpaid phone net adds of 551,000 [10][17] - Fixed Wireless Access net adds were 319,000, while Fios Internet delivered 67,000 net adds, the highest since 2020 [18] - The company continued to gain share in the prepaid segment, with 109,000 net adds in Q4, marking the sixth consecutive quarter of positive growth [18] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company added 125,000 fiber net additions through Frontier, a 29% increase over the prior year [19] - The total broadband subscriber base exceeded 16 million, including over 10.5 million fiber customers [72] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on a transformation strategy aimed at improving operational efficiency and customer experience, with a target of $5 billion in operating expense savings [8][26] - The Frontier acquisition is expected to provide significant cross-sell opportunities and operational synergies, with a goal of reaching 40-50 million fiber passings over the medium term [12][19] - The company aims to invest in customer experience and leverage AI to enhance operations and reduce churn [14][15] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management acknowledged a network outage that impacted customer service, emphasizing a commitment to improving service quality [3][4] - The company expects 2026 to be a transitional year with a focus on volume-based growth, targeting 750,000 to 1 million postpaid phone net adds [25][30] - Management expressed confidence in achieving a step function improvement in performance metrics, with adjusted EPS growth projected at 4%-5% [30][27] Other Important Information - The company announced a $25 billion share repurchase program, with at least $3 billion expected in 2026 [35] - A dividend increase of 2.5% was declared, marking the 20th consecutive year of dividend increases [34] Q&A Session Questions and Answers Question: What investments are needed to drive subscriber growth? - Management indicated that improvements in churn rates and customer experience will be key, with no need for excessive promotions [40][44] Question: Can you elaborate on the fiber passings outlook? - Management confirmed the target of 40-50 million fiber passings, supported by the Frontier acquisition and internal growth initiatives [46][50] Question: How is the company addressing customer lifetime values? - Management highlighted the importance of reducing churn and improving customer experience to enhance lifetime values [55][58] Question: What are the expectations for service revenue growth? - Management guided for 2%-3% growth in mobility and broadband service revenue, with flat wireless service revenue anticipated due to prior price increases [70][71]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company achieved over 1 million net adds across mobility and broadband in Q4, the highest quarterly volumes in 6 years [16] - Consolidated adjusted EBITDA for Q4 was $11.9 billion, with full-year adjusted EBITDA at $50 billion, reflecting a 2.5% increase from the prior year [22] - Adjusted EPS for Q4 was $1.09, bringing the full-year total to $4.71, a growth of 2.6% from the previous year [22] - Free cash flow for the full year was $20.1 billion, anticipated to be industry-leading [23] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Postpaid phone net adds were 616,000 in Q4, the best quarter in 6 years, with consumer postpaid phone net adds of 551,000 [10][16] - Fixed Wireless Access net adds were 319,000, while Fios Internet delivered 67,000 net adds, the highest since 2020 [19] - The company continued to take share in the prepaid segment, with Q4 net adds of 109,000, marking the sixth consecutive quarter of positive growth [18] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company added 125,000 fiber net additions through Frontier, representing a 29% increase over the prior year [20] - The total broadband subscriber base exceeded 16 million, including over 10.5 million fiber customers [73] - The company expects to achieve 2%-3% growth in mobility and broadband service revenue in 2026, equating to approximately $93 billion [27] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on a transformation strategy aimed at improving efficiency and customer experience, with a goal of becoming the most efficient telecom company in the industry [8] - Plans include a significant fiber build-out, targeting 40-50 million fiber passings over the medium term, with at least 2 million added in 2026 [12][34] - The company aims to leverage AI to optimize operations and enhance customer experience, with a focus on reducing churn and improving customer lifetime value [14][15] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management acknowledged a network outage that impacted customer service, emphasizing the need for improvement in service quality [3] - The company is optimistic about its transformation, expecting significant improvements in performance metrics in 2026 compared to historical trends [32] - Management highlighted the importance of customer loyalty and brand trust as key drivers for future growth [9] Other Important Information - The company plans to return $25 billion to shareholders through share repurchases over the next three years, with at least $3 billion in 2026 [36] - A dividend increase of 2.5% per share was announced, marking the 20th consecutive year of dividend increases [35] - The company has reduced its workforce by 13,000 in Q4, contributing to cost transformation efforts [76] Q&A Session Questions and Answers Question: What investments are needed to drive subscriber growth? - Management indicated that subscriber growth will be driven by improved customer experience, reduced churn, and leveraging convergence opportunities, rather than relying heavily on promotions [40][45] Question: Can you elaborate on the fiber passings outlook? - Management expressed confidence in achieving the new target of 40-50 million fiber passings, citing opportunities from the Frontier acquisition and partnerships [47][51] Question: How will customer lifetime values be maintained? - Management emphasized the importance of reducing churn and improving customer experience to enhance customer lifetime values, while avoiding price increases without corresponding value [56][58] Question: What are the expectations for service revenue growth? - Management guided for flat wireless service revenue in 2026 due to prior year price increases and ongoing promotional amortization, while anticipating volume-based growth in mobility and broadband [71][72]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company achieved over 1 million net adds across mobility and broadband in Q4 2025, the highest quarterly volumes in 6 years [16] - Consolidated adjusted EBITDA for Q4 was $11.9 billion, with full-year adjusted EBITDA at $50 billion, reflecting a 2.5% increase from the prior year [22] - Adjusted EPS for Q4 was $1.09, bringing the full year to $4.71, a growth of 2.6% from the previous year [22][29] - Free cash flow for the full year was $20.1 billion, anticipated to be industry-leading [23] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Postpaid phone net adds were 616,000 in Q4, the best quarter in 6 years, with consumer contributing 551,000 [10][16] - Fixed Wireless Access net adds were 319,000, while Fios Internet added 67,000, marking the highest fourth quarter net addition since 2020 [19][20] - The prepaid segment continued to grow, with 109,000 net adds in Q4, marking the sixth consecutive quarter of positive growth [18] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company added 125,000 fiber net additions through Frontier, a 29% increase year-over-year, contributing to over 16 million broadband subscribers [20] - The company expects to achieve 2-3% growth in mobility and broadband service revenue in 2026, equating to approximately $93 billion [27] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on a transformation strategy aimed at improving efficiency and customer satisfaction, with a goal to be the most efficient telecom company in the industry [8] - Plans include a significant fiber build-out, targeting 40-50 million fiber passings over the medium term, with at least 2 million added in 2026 [12][34] - The company aims to leverage AI to enhance customer experience and operational efficiency [14][15] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management acknowledged a network outage that impacted customer service, emphasizing the need for improvement in service quality [3] - The company is optimistic about its transformation, expecting significant improvements in performance metrics in 2026 compared to historical trends [32] - Management highlighted the importance of reducing churn and enhancing customer experience as key drivers for future growth [45][58] Other Important Information - The company plans to return $25 billion to shareholders through share repurchases over the next three years, with at least $3 billion in 2026 [36] - A dividend increase of 2.5% was announced, marking the 20th consecutive year of dividend increases [35] Q&A Session Summary Question: Outlook for postpaid phones in 2026 - Management discussed the investments needed to drive subscriber growth, emphasizing improvements in churn rates and customer experience rather than relying heavily on promotions [40][41] Question: Fiber passings outlook - Management confirmed an increase in the fiber passings target to 40-50 million, citing opportunities in both organic and inorganic growth [47][49] Question: Customer lifetime values and CapEx opportunities - Management addressed concerns about customer lifetime values, stating that reducing churn and improving customer experience will enhance LTV [54][56] - On CapEx, management explained that efficiencies were found by narrowing focus to growth areas and eliminating non-core investments [62][63]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company achieved over 1 million net adds across mobility and broadband in Q4 2025, the highest quarterly volume in six years [16] - Consolidated adjusted EBITDA for Q4 was $11.9 billion, with full-year adjusted EBITDA at $50 billion, reflecting a 2.5% increase from the prior year [22] - Adjusted EPS for Q4 was $1.09, bringing the full-year total to $4.71, a growth of 2.6% from the previous year [22] - Free cash flow for the full year was $20.1 billion, anticipated to be industry-leading [23] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Postpaid phone net adds were 616,000 in Q4, the best performance in six years, with consumer postpaid phone net adds at 551,000 [16][17] - Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) net adds were 319,000, while Fios Internet delivered 67,000 net adds, the highest since 2020 [18] - The company continued to gain share in the prepaid segment, with 109,000 net adds in Q4, marking six consecutive quarters of positive growth [18] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company added 125,000 fiber net additions through Frontier, representing a 29% increase year-over-year [19] - The total broadband subscriber base exceeded 16 million, including over 10.5 million fiber customers [71] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on a transformation strategy aimed at improving operational efficiency and customer experience, with a goal of achieving $5 billion in operating expense savings [7][27] - Plans to expand fiber build-out to reach 40-50 million fiber passings over the medium term, with at least 2 million new passings in 2026 [11][34] - The company aims to leverage AI to enhance customer experience and operational efficiency [13][15] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management acknowledged a critical inflection point for the company, emphasizing the need to shift culture towards customer satisfaction and brand trust [6] - The outlook for 2026 includes a target of 750,000 to 1 million postpaid phone net adds, which is 2-3 times the total from 2025 [26] - The company expects 2%-3% growth in mobility and broadband service revenue, equating to approximately $93 billion [26] Other Important Information - The company has authorized up to $25 billion in share repurchases over the next three years, with at least $3 billion planned for 2026 [36] - The board declared a dividend increase of 2.5% per share, marking the 20th consecutive year of dividend increases [35] Q&A Session Summary Question: Outlook for postpaid phones and investments needed for subscriber growth - Management highlighted that the strong outlook for postpaid phones in 2026 will be driven by improved churn rates and investments in customer experience rather than aggressive promotions [40][41] Question: Fiber passings outlook and opportunities - Management confirmed the raised target for fiber passings to 40-50 million, citing opportunities from the Frontier acquisition and partnerships [46][49] Question: Customer lifetime values and strategies to attract high-value customers - Management emphasized the importance of reducing churn and improving customer experience to enhance customer lifetime values, while avoiding price increases without corresponding value [53][56] Question: Flat service revenue growth and organic EBITDA growth - Management explained that flat service revenue growth is expected due to prior year price increases and ongoing promotional amortization, while EBITDA growth is anticipated to accelerate due to cost transformation efforts [68][72]

Verizon Communications stock climbed Friday after the wireless carrier posted better-than-expected earnings and added more postpaid customers than expected in the fourth quarter. ...

4Q 2025 Earnings January 30, 2026 VZQTR20FIN "Safe Harbor" Statement In this presentation we have made forward-looking statements. These statements are based on our estimates and assumptions and are subject to risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements include the information concerning our possible or assumed future results of operations. Forward-looking statements also include those preceded or followed by the words "anticipates," "assumes," "believes," "estimates," "expects," "forecasts," "hopes ...

The wireless carrier posts better-than-expected earnings and adds more postpaid customers than expected in the fourth quarter. ...